Automobile attachment



e. LOTORESE. AUTOMOBILE ATTACHMENT. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18. I921- LQLQ'KOSU,

Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

earsar GAETANO LOFORESE, OF GREENWICH, CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMOBILE ATTACHMENT.

raaaoso.

Application filed June 18, 1921. Serial No. 478,687.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GAETANO Loronnsn, a citizen of the United States, residing at 554C lVest Putnam Avenue, in the town of Greenwich, county of Fairfield, and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Automobile Attachment, of which the fol lowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a Windlass attachment for automobiles and has special reference to an attachment of this character adapted to be secured to the front part of the automobile frame and to be utilized for pulling the automobile out of difiiculties or for pulling another automobile out of its difficulties.

One important object of the invention is to improve the general construction of devices of this character.

A second important object of the invention is to provide an improved device of this character having a novel arrangement of reversible Windlass or drum.

A third important object of the invention is to provide novel means for simultaneous ly reversing the driving direction of a drum and the action'of pawls in their relation to said drum.

A fourth important object of the invention is-to provide a novel arrangement for moving a driven worm wheel into and out of engagement with a worm.

Y'Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described,

illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

and specifically claimed.

In the aecompanyingdrawings, like characters'of reference indicate'like parts in the several views, and

Figure 1 is a plan view portion of the apparatus or mechanism forming this invention and showing its relation to the frame of themotor vehicle, the part of the apparatus disclosed being partly in section. Figure'2 is an elevation of the-apparatus used also partly in section.

Figure 3 is a detailed section on the line 3-'3'of Figure 2, the automobile frame being omitted.

Figure 4 is a detailed view of one of the end blocks or castings and its associated parts, the view being taken from the back of said castings.

Figure 5 is a detailed View on the line 5-5 of Figure 2, certain parts being omitted.

In the embodiment of the invention herein disclosed there is provided a pair of end castings 2 and 3 each of which has suitable bolt receiving openings 16 to enable it to be secured to the frame 1 of an automobile or the like; The casting 2 has a. recess or pocket 2 formed therein in which is seated a rocking member .2 pivotally mounted in the pocket by means of pin 25. This rocking member is provided with a boss 24 forming an end bearing for a shaft 22. The casting 3 is provided on its inner face with guideways 3' extending vertically of the casting and having slide 20 mounted there'- in, the slide being normally held raised by means of a spring 28 mounted on a pin 12 projecting upwardly from the bottom of the guideways. In this casting 20 is a pocket 2O similar to the pocket 2 and mounted in this pocketis a tiltingblock 20 the block being mountedon a pin 25 extendin through the pocket. On this block is a boss 21 forming'the other end bearing for the shaft 22.

At 5 is indicated the drive shaftof the automobile and slidable on this drive shaft is a worm i one end of which is threaded ri ht handed as indicated at 4 while the ot or end is threaded left handed as indicated at l. This worm is mounted to revolve with the shaft, being splined thereon by means of a spline 6. The arrangement of'the block 20 is such that when it is in an'elevated positiona worm wheel 23 keyed on the shaft 22 will be lifted clear of the worm but when depressed this worm wheel will engage said worm, the engagement being with one end or the other of the worm accordingly as the worm is positioned along shaft 5. It is to be here noted that the teeth of the worm wheel 23 are so arranged that they may mesh with either the right or left hand worms.

As the shaft 5 is always turned in one direetion by the motor'maehine it will be seen that this arrangement permits motion in either direction of the shaft 22. Onthis shaft 22 is fiXGCl'Zl drum 29 for the reception of a cable out-he like which -may either be led to a stationary object and there secured in order to draw the automobile towards such stationary object or may be secured to a movable object and draw the object toward the automobile.

In order to depress the slide 20 against the action of the spring 28, which normally holds it raised, a rock shaft 15 is journalled on the casting 3 and on one end of this rock shaft is a cam arm 15 which'bears against the top of the slide 20. -On the other end of the rock shaft is an arm 26 which serves as the operating arm for the rock shaft and which may have a suit-able link (not shown) connected thereto for operating the arm from thedrivers seat. With this arrangement motion of the rock arm 26 to the rear forces the slide downward and brings the wormgear into engagement with the worm.

Between the castings 2 and 3 extends a cross bar 14 on which. is provided a pair of bearin 13 having a shaft 10 journaled therein. Projecting forwardly from the shaft 10 is a rock arm 10 which is connected by a linl 8 with a shipper 7 engaging the ends of the worm 4: to move it along the "shaft 5. An arm 11 is also fixed on the shaft 1O and is adapted to be operated from the drivers seat by a link (not shown).

Projecting inwardly from the casting 3 -isa pin 17 whereon is mounted for vertical sliding movement a pawl plate 18 the lower end of this plate engaging around the shaft 22. On this plate are pivoted gravity pawls l9 and 31 which are respectively engagable with ratchet wheels 27 and 30 fixed on the shaft 22. Extending up from the shaft 10 is an arm 10 which is connected to a lift finger 9 extending through the plate 18 and arranged to selectively engage and lift one of the pawls so as to hold the selected pawl from engaging with its ratchet wheel.

t is to be noted that the arrangement of the pawls, ratchet wheels and worms is such that the worm is shifted in accordance with the pawl which is permitted to engage its ratchet so that unwinding of the cable from the drum accidentally is prevented even though the worm wheel be disengaged from the worm. Thus, the shaft 5 revolves in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. With the worm screw 4 engaged the worm w1ll be in the position shown in that figure and the shaft 22 will turn in the direction of the arrow on Fig. 5. Under these conditions the shaft and drum will be prevented from turning in the direction opposite to the arrow of Fig. 5 unless the pawl 31 be deliberately lifted. Obviously, movement of the worm screw 4 into worm wheel, engaging positionwill free the pawl 31 and permit engagement of the pawl 19 as well as reverse the movement of the shaft 22.

There has thus been provided a simple and eflicient device of the kind described and for the purposes specified.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material principles thereof. It is not therefore desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown. and described, but it is wished to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

I 1. In combination, a power shaft, a driven shaft, a worm splined on said po'wer'shaft having a right hand thread at one end and a left hand thread at the other, a worm wheel on said driven shaft adapted for-engagement selectively with the threads of the worm, a tilting bearing supporting one end of the driven shaft, a second tilting'bearing supporting the other end of the driven shaft, means to support the second bearing to permit movement of the worm wheel mto and out of engagement with the worm, meansto move the support of the second bearing and means to shift the worm along the power shaft whereby to bring its ends selectively into position for engagement by the worm wheel. 1

2. In combination, a power shaft, a driven shaft, a worm splined on said power shaft having a right hand thread at one end and a left hand thread at the other, a worm wheel on said driven shaft adapted for engagement selectively with the threads of the worm, means for shifting said worm, a tilting bearing supporting oneend ofthe driven shaft, a second tilting bearing supportingthe other end of the driven shaft, means to support the second bearing to permit'movement of the worm wheel into and out of engagement with the worm, means to move the support of the second bearing, right and left hand ratchet wheels on the driven shaft,-pawls means connected to the worm shifting means and engageable'selectively with the pawls to hold them from engagement 'with the respective ratchets.

3. In combination, a power shaft, a worm splined on said power shaft and having supporting member, a second tilting bear- 'ing supported in said slide and supporting the other end of the driven shaft, a worm wheel adapted to mesh with the. worm threads selectively and fixed on the driven shaft, a spring normally holding said slide raised, a drum on. the driven shaft,means to shift the worm along the power shaft, and

means to move the slide up and down and thereby cause engagement and disengagement of the worm wheel with the worm.

4. In combination, a power shaft, a worm splined on said power shaft and having right engageable with said ratchet wheels, and

hand threads at one end and left hand threads at the other, a driven shaft crossing said power shaft, a supporting member at each end of the driven shaft, a tilting bearing carried by one supporting member and having one end of the driven shaft journalled therein, a slide mounted on the other supporting member, a second tilting bearing supported in said slide and supporting the other end of the driven shaft, a worm wheel adapted to mesh with the worm threads selectively and fixed on the driven shaft, a spring normally holding said slide raised, a drum on the driven shaft, means to shift the worm along the power shaft, right and left hand ratchet wheels on the driven shaft, pawls engageable with said ratchet wheels, and means connected to the worm shifting means and engageable selectively with the pawls to hold them from engagement with the respective ratchets.

5. In combination, a power shaft, a worm splined on said power shaft and having right hand threads at one end and left hand threads at the other, a driven shaft crossing said power shaft, a supporting member at each end of the driven shaft, a tilting bearing carried by one supporting member and having one end of the driven shaft journalled therein, a slide mounted on the other supporting member, a second tilting bearing supported in said slide and supporting the other end of the driven shaft a worm wheel adapted to mesh with the worm threads selectively and fixed on the driven shaft, a spring normally holding said slide raised, a

drum on the driven shaft, means to shift the worm along the power shaft, a spring normally holding the slide raised and the worm wheel out of engagement with the worm, and means to depress the slide against the action of the spring and thereby cause engagement of the worm wheel and worm.

6. In combination, a power shaft, a worm splined on said power shaft and having right hand threads at one end and left hand threads at the other, a driven shaft crossing said power shaft, a supporting member at each end of the driven shaft, a tilting bearing carried by one supporting member and having one end of the driven shaft journalled therein, a slide mounted on the other supporting member, a second tilting bearing supported in said slide and supporting the other end of the driven shaft, a worm wheel adapted to mesh with the worm threads selectively and fixed on the driven shaft, a sprin normally holding said slide raised, a drum on the driven shaft, means to shift the worm. along the power shaft, a spring normally holding the slide raised and the worm wheel out of engagement with the worm, right and left hand ratchet wheels on the driven shaft, pawls engageable with said ratchet wheels, and means connected to the worm shifting means and engageable selectively with the pawls to hold them from engagement with the respective ratchets.

GAETANO LOFORESE.

Witness ANTONIO J. Munro. 

